Experimental investigation on direct shear mechanical characteristics of ballast under dynamic normal loading

Jieling Xiao, Xi Yang, Haoming Liu, Yangyang Xu, Ping Wang, Jinyuan Cao, MOE Key Laboratory of High-speed Railway Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, School of Civil Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit

Published online on February 14, 2026

Abstract

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit, Ahead of Print.
The shear resistance of ballast under dynamic loading directly affects the stability and bearing capacity of the ballast bed; however, the influence of load characteristics on direct shear parameters remains insufficiently understood. A direct shear ...